A health Conference organised in Athens by medical site ygeiamou.gr with the support of newspaper Proto Thema, is focusing on a series of critical issues in the Greek healthcare system – private and public -with the goal of a fruitful exchange of views in an effort to reach viable solutions to current problems.

A series of topics will be discussed such as: How is a Sustainable Health System Defined Today? Can a possible public-private partnership build a health services framework that will effectively put the citizen at the centre? What should the role of the medical community as a whole be in this? What is the mix of public and private insurance that will cover a patient? How can pharmaceutical innovation be integrated into the National Organization for the Provision of Health Services (EOPYY’s) “closed” budget? Can Greece meet the global challenges in clinical research and development?

Addressing the Conference, Public Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias dispelled any rumours that the government was planning large-scale public health privatisations. In his speech, he outlined the government’s strategy to improve the quality of public health services. Mr. Kikilias stressed that the appropriate “recipe” was to implement a partnership between the public and private sectors (PPP), in three areas: the purchase of modern machinery and equipment, the creation of health units and the financing of the construction of complete new hospitals.